


Sweet Nectar

by TitanPandora



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: 18th Century, F/M, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Period-Typical Racism, Plantation Setting, Racism, Slurs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-18 06:05:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15479250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TitanPandora/pseuds/TitanPandora
Summary: Year 1840, Ludwig Beilschmidt, a young immigrant moves to America with his family for the rich soil and abundance cotton, but also for him to become closer to his arranged wife Amelia. However, instead he is drawn to the gates of the other house where a beautiful boy lives, trapped from the woes of life





	Sweet Nectar

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, b4 I hear the comments 
> 
> (THIS STORY HAS RACISM AND HOMOPHOBIA WITH MANY TERMS BEING OFFENSIVE) 
> 
> If you aren’t grownup enough to understand that the racial divide in the south was big and a need component of this story then bye 

When riding a carriage, it kind of feels like it’s going to fall apart at any moment. From it’s rickety boards and squeaky wheels, it felt odd that such an old thing made of wood and screws could carry so many things. 

A young boy christened by the Gods with a sweet name of Ludwig peered for the twentieth time at the luggage that was strapped to the back of his carriage. The small black chest, stayed unmoving in the swaying. 

Everything he owned was in that little package, from books and wooden toys, it felt so odd for all his things to be placed in one box. Mama said that at the new house he would have all new furniture so they didn’t have to bring any overseas, but something felt off about not being able to sleep in his old bed. 

Turning back around, he folded his hands together and gripped at the fabric doll shaped like a dog in his hands. It was soft made with leftover fabric of his mother’s wedding gown so the silk was a memento. It was one of the fabric items he still held from Germany. 

Ludwig’s father was the one who picked them up to move them to America. Now that a lot of the land in the south was being sold like hot cakes, he easily snatched it up. Here they had free labor and a new kind of wealth with how rich the soil was to grow cotton. 

Germany was too cold to grow cotton, Mama said once while she packed up his quilts and winter clothing, we should be happy, now we get more money and you get to have a bigger area to explore. 

For a small white twelve year old, the idea of exploring land was like a guilt trip to easily get him to come. For his older brother Gilbert, who was less excited to come, it was the promise of American woman who were very pretty. 

After a long ship ride across the sea, they were able to ride across the roads in a horse drawn carriage. Father held the reigns, smiling and waving at all the Americans who road across their path. It was slowly that they made a turn into a lowly shaded path. 

Through gates and small bridges across little rivers they came to an area that was a bustle of life. People with skin like coffee beans were working away in a field filled with little clouds of cotton, Ludwig’s mouth was wide open in total awe. 

“Mr. Jones took care of most of the land while we couldn’t come here in the winter,” Father said to mother with a big proud smile, “everyone was bustling away, it’s so beautiful.” 

Mother just smiled wrapping her arm around Ludwig in a possessive way that he couldn’t place a finger on why. The carriage just went up the road, ignoring all the people who looked like they needed a nice cold glass of water. On that note, Ludwig really wanted a cup of water, maybe it rained recently to freeze some. 

As they made their way towards the closed gate, two people at the field came to open the twirling of black steel. “Danke!” He cried to them with a big smile. 

“Ludwig,” Gilbert mumbled, elbow resting on the door of the carriage and hand laid lazily holding up his head, “don’t speak to those apes.” 

Looking back, Ludwig couldn’t really understand. That wasn’t a monkey, he knew what monkeys look like, they were big and had weird faces, he’d seen what they look in zoos. That was a person, just like him! The woman Gilbert was referring to, had a weird skin color he’d never seen before and sunken eyes, but that was just off the top of his head. 

Climbing up the seat, he watched as the two people who opened the gate walked away into the cotton field. Clasping his hands together he waited till she looked back to wave one last time. This time, she did wave back! Ludwig couldn’t even contain the excitement as he bounced in his seat. 

Mother gave him a quick look before settling back in her seat. From the unlocked gate, Ludwig was able to see his new home and he couldn’t contain the gasp. It was so big! Bigger than the farmhouse in Germany! It had long columns and cascading vines. There was even a balcony looking down at the fountain in the middle of the circle drive. 

Pushing open the door to the carriage,   
Ludwig didn’t wait for it to stop before jumping out and running beside the carriage. From father’s laughter and mother’s scolding, he ran beside the horse trying to take in every beautiful tree. 

“Father! I’m just as fast as May!” He cried keeping up with the horse. The carriage was too loud for him to hear what father shouted back, but Ludwig was twirling around in the sunlight taking in what the sun gave him. 

Gilbert remained sullen though, when the carriage stopped, he jumped out, took one look at the house and scoffed. From his hand, he held the cloth dog in which he threw to Ludwig in one swoop. “Take Ludwig inside, Lina,” father told mother, pressing a kiss to her cheek, “I’ll take care of our luggage, me and Gilbert are strong enough.” 

She simply laughed, rolling her eyes as Father flexed and relished in embarrassing anyone who could of passed. Gilbert just seemed to huff as Ludwig was too busy running around. When Lina was able to catch her son who sprinted around like a wild horse she headed inside. 

Moving to America wasn’t her idea, her husband Richard promised it would make them more money, but also kept her son close to his arranged marriage. With their first son, Gilbert, he was given the opportunity to search for love, but when Ludwig was born, money was tight and they gave to a deal. 

Amelia was beautiful, just like anyone would describe a woman from America. Her hair a beautiful gold and eyes so blue, together her and Ludwig would have beautiful children. For now, her giggly baby boy could live his childhood of exploring and turning all of his pants brown from the mud he fell in. The large garden out front would probably be his first expedition. Opening the door she was greeted with the beautiful foyer, with a gorgeous chandelier and to the side was a sitting room filled with books and a large piano for Ludwig to practice. 

Gilbert was better at violin, she wondered briefly if he had any new pieces he found when they visited the town near the home. Ludwig had quickly ran upstairs and out of sight. On the other side of the foyer was the dinning room with a lovely kitchen. Something delicious was cooking inside from the bustle of pans and smells, but decided to check in on that later. From a tiny door she was greeted with the one area that sold her. 

The open air patio. Gorgeous line of bricks, which wasn’t really common in the south, that curved into gorgeous arches to lead straight out to the outdoor retreat covered with flowers that bloomed so brightly. Many of the workers of the plantations were walking around in the garden with watering cans, she briefly though how long it would take to water the whole garden with simply just a can. 

Brushing that off she tried to ignore how wrong it was for them to just walk around in the heavy heat of the summer sun. Many slaves were brought here to do this, their life in Africa was worse, as the family of the house they gave them houses and a stable living. Brushing that off, she walked towards the foyer, the other room off the open air patio was the man cave and wine cellar that Richard would haul up when they got most of their belongings in the house. 

“Mama! Mama! Mama!” Ludwig cried running down the steps in such a manner she was afraid he was going to face plant on the floor below. Behind him was a well-dressed black maid, her thickly curled hair pulled back in a bun and a small smile as she carried the clothed dog. “Look who I found! Her name is Maury and she lives outside! She told me I could go in the garden, but only if I asked you!” 

The little boy spoke at the speed of light, Lina looking up to meet eyes with the worker who quickly averted her eyes. Her fingers digging in the cloth. “She even said we have neighbors! Can I meet the neighbors!” 

“Yes the Jones, you remember Amelia,” Lina kept simply. 

“And Madam Lina,” Maury offered quietly, “on the side of this plantation is that Vargas family, a Italian family.” 

“Italian,” Lina repeated unsure of why her husband missed to mention the other plantation next to theirs, “are they newly immigrated?” 

“I don’t think so Ma’am, they’ve been here since I was born,” She offered touching Ludwig by the shoulder, “why not you take your doggy outside, I can show your mother around.” Maury held out the doll that Ludwig was quick to snatch up and dart out of the house faster than Mother could remind him to be home before the sun settled. 

Lina watched as he almost knocked over Gilbert who was carrying a big chest. “Sorry about Ludwig,” she was quick to apologize, “he is such a handful, you’d think we raised him in a barn,” she joked. 

Maury simply laughed in a short breathy manner, “come with me Madam, I will introduce you our inhome chefs.” 

Catching one last glimpse of Ludwig who was almost eaten by the tall plants of the garden, she followed the servant towards the dining room. 

...

The flowers were so big as he got deeper in the garden, they were so beautiful Ludwig couldn’t keep his hands off the velvet soft petals and insides that turned his fingers yellows with pollen. Slipping between legs of the people in the garden, he was able to make it out, but found himself in a different area. 

There was a fence, colored a beautiful white with long grass almost as high as it. It was no surprise he ducked under and started to explore the area beyond his garden. Many of the people that worked around his house with the different skin worked in the neighboring plantation as well! They sang very weird songs that they shouted across to others to repeat back, it was strange, but memorizing. 

Careful not to step on the little plants he made his way towards the house. This one was like own with the beautiful gate and white exterior. Big trees covered road to get to the house, causing a big wow factor. 

“Hey, Boy, what are you doing here,” a deep voice startled him. From the gate appeared a boy with skin not as dark as the workers, but much darker than his pale skin. He had dark auburn hair and cheeks red from the sun constantly beating down. He was older, maybe by a few years. “Come on, out with ya,” he snapped. 

“I came from my garden,” he told the boy pointing towards the gate, “my family just moved here from Germany! I was looking for my friend Amelia!” 

“Amelia’s house is in the other direction,” the boy deadpanned. Ludwig could make the connection that this must of been their other neighbor, the silly Italians that Maury told him about. 

She was such a lovely lady! She was cleaning the dust from the mantle in his bedroom, so he surprised her since she wasn’t looking. Maury was startled, but she found it funny, she laughed along with him and asked if he was the new boy. 

“I’m Ludwig,” he told the older boy. 

“Lovino,” the other said simply, “I have a brother, his name is Feliciano if you see him around. You can stay here if you want, but I’m leaving to ride my horse.” Lovino was wearing the normal riding gear so Ludwig let him go. 

At his neighbor’s house it was the same as his. They had the same huts off the side of the house with the same people. It was kind of boring. Deciding on he didn’t want to stay very long he turned around, but not before running straight into someone. 

Falling back, the flowers in the other’s hands went flying in the air, spraying the air full of petals of beautiful pink. Ludwig felt his cheeks becoming red, as the person lifted his head. He was... very pretty. With the flowers all around him it was almost angelic with his hair a messy of auburn curls and cheeks freckled. 

“Oh my!” The boy gasped, while Ludwig was at a lost for words. His clothed dog, hidden deeply behind his back for it felt too childish to be seen by someone so beautiful. 

“I’m sorry!” He sputtered out, cheeks inflamed with a blush, “I didn’t see you.” 

“And I was too lost in thought to see you,” the beautiful angel laughed, “you must be the boy Lovino said was around, Ludwig was it? My name is Feliciano.” 

“Feliciano,” he repeated against his tongue, words almost dying as he smiled so casually. “Hello,” he whimpered before farting around and starting to back away, “I.. gotta, uh, urrr,” And with a jab of his thumb he ran as quickly as he could, heart palpating with a rush of emotions. 

He darted through the fields, pass the singing workers and navigating his path from the flowers till he reached his house. Slipping inside, his breath came in a heavy pants. His ears were ringing, but when they stopped he heard the noise of the screechy violin in the sitting room and the clanging of pans in the kitchen. 

In the sitting room was Gilbert, Mother, and Father, he leaned on the half wall, not completely going down the steps that got you to the floor. His older brother hands poised as they danced across the strings. Mother sipped at her tea as Father sat on the piano bench, watching them. 

Ludwig wondered briefly if he should ask Gilbert if what he felt was like he felt when he saw a pretty lady, but so weirdly he thought a boy was pretty. His name was Feliciano... such a beautiful name for such a beautiful person. He had tan skin with big freckles and curly hair, he looked like an angel in the sun and with pink petals in his hair. 

“Lost in thought Ludwig?” Mother’s voice called as the music had stopped. 

Ludwig blinked quickly out of thought, his cheeks pink with how he got caught. “Cheeks that pink he must of saw a beautiful lass,” father remarked sipping at his glass of whiskey, “I was the same when I met my Lina.” 

“Richard!” Mother laughed standing up and heading towards Ludwig, “did you say hello to Amelia? She missed you very.” 

“Yes, mother,” he lied quickly with a smile, quickly heading out of the room, Lina noticed as the stuffed dog was stuff deeply in the seat of his pants, out of sight. 

She grabbed him by his belt, stuffing her hand in to take the dog out, “you’re going to stretch your pants Ludwig, what is your toy doing in there.” 

“I-I!” Ludwig stuttered, cheeks getting even darker as he took the toy from her, “it was embarrassing when I saw Amelia. She looked so pretty, and uh,” the lie was stretching so far he was pretending the beautiful boy was Amelia, his best friend. 

Mother just rolled her eyes, putting a hand on his shoulder, “next time, why not you leave it here when you talk to her, rather than ruining a good pair of pants. Now come along, let’s get washed up for dinner.” 

She held out her hand as she headed towards the bathroom, Ludwig finding no other way but to follow, taking her outstretched hand and snuggling close to her body. For now his crush would be a secret, but tomorrow he was going to see Feliciano again and be a bit braver.


End file.
